robot_restoration_projectfandomcom-20200214-history
A Right To Know
++ Skyline Tower ++ Every apartment inside the Skyline Tower takes up half of an entire floor, and every last one of them has a magnificent view of Translucentia Heights, and Iacon, outside. The building has its own security team to keep out the riffraff. With much trepidation Swift Blade approaches Blurr's home. Ever since arriving at this planet, all she's heard is how she shouldn't trust this or that person, how she shouldn't trust the system. This is a big change from being in a position where she HAS to trust her master and hope for the best, and it's wearing a little rough on the femme. Still, she is not a creature of inaction; she has to know what is going on. While she is mildly fond of Blast Off, she has to hear the other side too or else it wouldn't be fair. And, above anything else, Swift Blade has a desire to be fair. If there are any security measures, such as giving up her weapons, she will do so warily but will not make a fuss. After all, she is here for information, not to start a fight. Blurr's been expecting her, so the security don't give her much trouble. When she arrives at his hab suite, he is quick to open the door and welcome her in. "Swiftblade!" he greets with a grin. And like the rest of the establishment, it is quite a beautiful and spacious unit. Luxuries abound, far beyond Nyon's wildest dreams. "Come on in, make yourself comfortable. You want anything? A drink? Yeah?" He nods toward a drone. "You just say the word." Swift Blade doesn't try to hide that she is nervous, mostly because it is not her priority. She smiles as she recieves a comparitively warm welcome, but then she shakes her head. "Nothing immediately, thank you," she declines politely. "I'd rather get the important things taken care of first." There's a brief pause. "You spoke of evidence. Are you allowed to share it? I don't wish to cause any problems." "Yeah, of course I am. I mean, it wouldn't be fair if we weren't allowed to share it. You have a right to know why we're trying arrest people, especially if you know them personally." Blurr replies with a nod. "Anyway, why don't you sit down," he says, gesturing toward a sofa in the center of the room in front of a large videopane. "And I'll get right to it." Swift Blade sits down. She keeps in mind that she isn't supposed to trust Blurr, but she is not a femme that is prone to paranoia. Sure, she's going to keep her wits about her, but she sees no reason to learn what she can by observation. And if she's going to speak to Blast Off about this...ever...she needs the counter information. "I haven't known him for long," she says to Blurr. "But he was the first person I met on this planet. He gave no indication then of being a threat." Whether she means to her personally or in general is not clear. "I appreciate the time you are taking." Whatever her flaws are, rudeness is not one of them. "No problem, you have a right to know." Blurr replies, flipping the videopane on and sticking a dataslug into the appropriate input. "He's definitely good at making a good first impression, I'll give him that, but once you get to know him better, which I have, you realize he's so much more than that. See, you're probably aware that Blast Off has a space shuttle altmode, so he loves going into space, but after the Clampdown, space travel was restricted, and well, you can imagine he was upset. So he starts making shady deals with people wanting space errands, but one time instead of delivering the stuff his clients wanted to them, he tried to take them for himself. And that is where we are in -this- footage from a series of sub-orbital patrol drones." He points to the display, which lights up with an image of Blast Off in a tussle with two other spacefaring mechs. "As you can see, his client wasn't too happy that he was trying to rob them." And there it is. Blam. The Combaticon shoots one of the mechs in the head at close range. The head explodes, and the dead body falls back down through the atmosphere. Swift Blade watches with a distinct expression of being uncomfortable. Her optics take in the details. Well, there isn't much doubt that Blast Off did shoot that guy. But, without being there, she can't fully know all the implications of this. What led up to it? And if these people were so shady, then what might they have done to him previous to this? She shakes her head slightly. "I'm a little puzzled. I've read about Functionism, and from my understanding, we are meant to do as our form dictates, yes?" She looks to Blurr for confirmation. It doesn't directly have anything to do with the footage, but she's leading up to further questions. "Yeah, but space travel has been restricted, especially since a lot of the other civilizations out there aren't exactly welcoming toward us. In fact, they kinda hate our struts, you probably know that. So really it's for our own safety. But it's not like he didn't -have- a job, he was allowed to study astronomy and whatever, just wasn't really allowed actually go insto space that often." Blurr explains. The footage then shows two law enforcement officers attempting to arrest him, but he resisted and ended up killing them as well. "Now I know you probably want to give him the benefit of the doubt, but you can't argue with the fact that it's only fair he answer for these crimes. Let the court decide whether his actions were justified and what kind of punishment he deserves." "If any, that is." "I know something about the coldness they have out there for us," Swift Blade says softly, remembering the hostility towards her as she made her way 'home'. "But, this still confuses me. If Functionism says we need to do what our forms tell us, and then they made something our forms are meant to do illegal, doesn't that run contrary to the core belief of Functionism?" She shakes her head. "Have patience with me, a lot of this is new to me, so I might be missing something." Then she watches the rest of the footage. "I think I believe in justice, but how can I be sure that his trial will be fair?" she asks, her words slow and reluctant. "Killing is a pretty serious offense. At least, it is with the flesh beings." She sighs deeply. "Obviously he is afraid of the consequences. And, if he knew about the consequences, then something extreme must have pressed him to kill those individuals. I don't see that he would do it for entertainment." Her words stumble over themselves, as if she's not really sure what she's saying, but has to say it nonetheless. "Oh I'm sure he didn't do it for -entertainment-." Blurr shakes his head. "But that doesn't matter, like you said, killing is a serious offense that warrants punishment in most cases, or at least a trial to determine the reasons behind it. He might have claimed that didn't leave him any choice, but it's clear that those officers at the very least intended to -arrest- him, not kill him. I guess they'll have to look at more of the evidence to figure out what the third party's intentions were. But that's 2 out of the 3 murders right there." At the question about Functionism, he just shrugs. "Times change, Swiftblade. It's just part of life. Not everything about our social structure can be perfect. But we just have to do our best. Sometimes things go obsolete, when technology advances, right?" Swift Blade flinches slightly. Obsolete is what Tarantulas called her. She purses her lips together. "With the flesh creatures, they have a set time. They start small, grow up, wither, and then die." She turns her head this way and that. "We don't seem to have the same sort of life span. Perhaps being 'obsolete' is similar to this, but somehow it seems unfair to say that someone is completely useless just because their primary use is somewhat...diminished." She sighs. "Now, if he has only a slim chance of surviving whatever punishment comes to him, then I can understand why he would flee at all costs," she says slowly. Then she stops and considers for a few moments. "Are trials on this planet public?" she finally asks. "Look Swift, I didn't say the system was fair." Blurr says bluntly. "-Life- isn't fair. But we try to be as fair as possible, although sometimes our attempts at it don't even come close but what more can we do? And actually, it's quite the opposite, if he -knew- he didn't have anything to hide, and knew he was a good mech who only killed them out of necessity because they left him no choice? He wouldn't be trying to run from the law. But if he knows he's guilty? If he knows he really did murder them? He's afraid the truth will come out and he'll be found guilty for crimes he -knows- he committed? Well of -course- he's gonna run." "I mean what do you expect us to do? What would -you- do if you were in charge? Would you just...let him be at large? Wander the streets free to repeatedly do to other people what he did to those three?" "What if one of those officers had been -your- friend?" "It's more a matter of whether he has the option of changing and mending his ways after capture, or whether it is a death sentence," Swift Blade says solemnly. "We are a long lived people; I know this well. I also know well that life isn't fair. If it was, I never would have been sold into slavery off world," she adds. "And if he is correct that the system is corrupt, then of course he would run. If he couldn't be assured of a fair trial. Which is why I asked if trials were public." She tilts her head to the side. "I've never actually had a friend before. Slaves don't make friends. So I couldn't tell you." She sighs. "I do see your point. And I mostly agree with it. But, I don't think Blast Off is entirely wrong for running either." Pause. "It is our instinct to live, is it not?" Blurr snorts. "When he says the system is 'corrupt', he means 'not perfect'." He shrugs. "Which of course it isn't perfect. A fair trial? Well isn't that a loaded question. Everyone has a different opinion of what 'fair' is. Nothing is guaranteed in life, but we have to do everything we can to keep our streets safe. I'm sure you get -that-, at least." But when she mentions she's never had a friend, he seems to soften a bit, smiling again. "Never had a friend, huh? Well, I wouldn't mind being your first, if you wouldn't mind." Swift Blade nods. "Well, I meant 'fair' as in, the trial actually happens and evidence is looked at and weighed," she says slowly. "Which is why I asked about public trials, so people can actually /see/ justice at work or not." There's another sigh. "And you didn't answer about whether or not execution is a standard punishment, though perhaps I didn't put it as a direct question." Then she smiles briefly. "I believe that friends grow over time, though my understanding might be limited." Blurr nods. "Yeah, of course it will. I don't know about public." he shrugs. "Maybe it will be. As for execution, it can happen in some cases but I don't think he'd be executed. Even some of the worst people just get shipped off to penal facilities." He chuckles. "Well, it depends, on who you're talking about. But if that's the case for you, then I'd like to get -started-, at least." Swift Blade tilts her head to the side. "Penal facilities? And if they are shipped off, does that mean off the planet? Even though we're not supposed to leave the planet?" It seems all very confusing to the femme. Then she actually does smile a bit. "I would not object. Though, perhaps, we would never see optic to optic in the case of Blast Off," she predicts. "It's not that no one is allowed to leave the planet. I didn't say it was banned completely, just restricted." Blurr clarifies. "People can still go into space, but only with authorization from the state." He sighs. "Blast Off just needs to answer for his crimes. That's all. I think we can both agree that he shouldn't just be allowed to roam free after what he did. It's not fair to everyone else." Swift Blade hesitates. "I can agree about that. But I've heard too much about the problems with the system to be completely comfortable with what might happen as a result," she says. "I never had to worry much about the law when I was a slave. My only judge was my master; if I obeyed all was well." It was a very simplistic existence, even though she always felt it was an unfair one. "Things here are very complex." She tilts her head to the side and regards Blurr rather intently. "To be honest with you, most of these 'problems' you hear about are just conspiracy theories by people who have nothing else better to do." Blurr waves a dismissive hand. "But if you want to get yourself worked up over them have at it. If he's worried about being subject to 'corrupt' system, then maybe he shouldn't gotten himself into trouble in the -first- place by killing people. The fact remains that he still made that choice on his own, regardless of a corrupt system existing or not. But seriously Swift what would you do? If it were up to you? Would you really just let him off? After he killed those people? Because you're afraid he'll receive unjust punishment?" Swift Blade smiles faintly. "If it was me, I would have the information about the system that I now currently do not possess. If it were up to me, that would indicate I would have the position to oversee how justice was served to ensure that it was not unduely unfair," she said. "But this is not the case. As someone who is practically an outsider, I'm in far less of a position to really judge anything." She shrugs her shoulders helplessly. "I cannot say I would try to execute justice or law myself, but I will not stand in the way of the officers who are doing their jobs." She sighs. "That is the best I can do." Blurr smiles and pats her on the back. "Then you're in the right place. See? Maybe you're not so lost after all." He glances at a bar on the other side of the room. "You sure you don't want a drink, now?" "I could probably use one now," Swift Blade agrees wryly. "I never drank off world; I was never given the option. But I know that the flesh creatures have their own drinks, and some of them found it quite soothing." She might not have been treated like a 'person' for most of her life, but that didn't stop her from quietly observing the interactions of others. "Returning home has not been easy for me." "Well I'm here to make it easier for you, if you'll let me." Blurr says easily. He glances at the drone, ordering it to get her a drink. It does so, hovering over to the bar and quickly returning with a tall glass of high-quality engex. "And seriously, if you just stay -away- from people like Blast Off and Exodus, it'll really help. As you can already tell, all they've done is complicate your life." "I can hardly tell if someone is the right or wrong type before I've met them," Swift Blade protests. "I certainly didn't have much option with Blast Off; he pretty much showed up right after my shuttle crashed." She takes a tentative sip of the drink. Oooo, that's nice. Any refueling she had done off world was strictly functional and highly controlled by her masters. To actually sip a drink in leisure, well, that alone makes Cybertron a better place than slavery. "My life became more complicated simply by being given my freedom," she says. "So far most people here have been, at the very least, polite to me." "Heh, it's easy to be polite." Blurr says dismissively. "Plenty of people can be polite. It's their true motives you should really be worried about. Well, you didn't really know any better then, but now you -do-." he says, giving her a more pointed look. "So if I were you, I'd stay the slag away from them, and other people like them." "I do not know how to discern motives," she admits. "Still, how do you suggest I stay away from people 'like them' if I cannot tell what is in the..." she pauses for a moment, not even really knowing the word for her own spark, "what is in their minds?" It isn't exactly what she wanted to say, but it will do. Flesh creatures have hearts; she has something else. "Yeah, I get that." Blurr nods soberly. "It can be pretty hard to tell, especially with people like Blast Off. I would just say don't trust anyone who isn't the police and you should be good. Or you could just ask me." he grins. "Though I can't guarantee I'll be able to give you sound judgment -every- time." Swift Blade sighs again and takes another drink. "I will try." She considers things for a few moments. "When I first crash landed, Blast Off told me not to trust the system; that I should flee before the authorities got there. But I didn't feel that was a good way to start off my life on Cybertron, so I waited. I was interviewed and assessed. Nothing bad happened to me. But, now I see why he was so worried; he was projecting his own problems onto me." She taps idly at her glass. "In my mind, I should fear no wrong done to me if I have done no wrong." Blurr grins and holds up a finger. "Exactly! See? He was just wrongly assuming that everyone -else- has the same problems he does when that isn't actually the case. You don't get yourself on the wrong side of the law, then you won't get into the situation he's in. In fact, if you -had- run away, that would've given us reason to be suspicious of you, and that would've started you on a path toward the exact unfortunate circumstance he's in. You see what I'm saying? He just wants to get more people into trouble so he can have more people on his -side-." Swift Blade doesn't look entirely convinced. "I don't think it's malice. I think he is actually completely scared and it colors his judgement." The femme has been rarely scared herself, but she's seen what fear can do to flesh creatures, and as far as the capacity to think and feel goes, she doesn't see much difference between the soft ones and her own metalic race. "But I am very glad I went with my instinct. I didn't think he intended to give me bad advice, but I saw that perhaps his advice wasn't...applicable...in my case. Surely no one here could fault me for wanting to return home after I was forcibly removed in my youth." Yes, Swift Blade is assuming that most people here are reasonable. Poor femme is going to be sadly disappointed. Blurr grins. "Of course not!" he assures her. "So you didn't really have anything to fear." He pats her. "Well that might have been part of it, I don't know. But I'm pretty sure he just wants more people on his side because it gives him a sense of security. Really though, I'm not sure how long he thought he could keep his criminal record a secret from you." "I have no answer for that one," Swift Blade says. "Though it might have just been that he wasn't sure /how/ to tell me." She'll give him the benefit of the doubt on that one. And she still wants to hear his side of the story. "If he is captured, is it likely that the news will be known to the public?" she asks Blurr. "It won't be kept a secret." Blurr shrugs. "Pff, of course he wasn't going to just tell you that slag. 'Oh, by the way, I'm wanted for three counts of -murder-.' Fancy that. Hah." he smirks. "Give him the benefit of the doubt all you want, he's still a criminal and he still needs to answer for his crimes. But for you, all you have to do is not assist a fugitive by helping him get away from justice. That is if you don't want to wind up in a similar situation." "I had no intentions of stopping his persuers. I just didn't know who you were when you opened fire," Swift Blade says. "I do believe that order must be maintained. But that does not mean that I'm not sad that he got into the situation in the first place, that he felt the need to go against the rules. Because, you're right, if he hadn't done that, he wouldn't be in trouble now." However, that doesn't mean that Swift Blade doesn't also believe that he wouldn't have done it if he didn't feel pressed to, whether or not he /actually/ had no choice. Blurr sighs. "I know, I totally understand, Swift. I'm definitely not -happy- he got himself into so much trouble. I used to be his friend, actually." he says quietly. "And I wish I could still be his friend, but he's been so uncooperative with the law that it's hard to keep that up, you know?" Well, now, that came as a surprise, and this shows on Swift Blade's face. It also makes things even that much more complicated. As well, her worry for Blast Off goes up a notchl. After all, if one friend had already turned against him... Yet, she respects Blurr's decision to stick to his duties. If only life weren't so complicated. "That must have been hard for you," she says with a little sigh. "I'm sorry it had to happen like that." She downs the rest of her drink rather rapidly. "It really was." Blurr says, nodding gravely. "Honestly I tried. I wanted to talk sense into him, but he'd never cooperate. He even tried to kill me one time when he thought I was helpless. Which...I kind of was. But I guess he thought it was for the sake of self-preservation, I don't know." "You are a person with a strong sense of duty; that is a good thing," Swift Blade says to Blurr. And she believes it. The mention of Blast Off trying to kill Blurr while he was helpless causes the femme to frown again. After making the initial mistake it would seem that Blast Off has only been able to make matters worse for himself, and now he's in so deep, it's unlikely he'll be able to stop. What that truly means, however, seems to escape Swift Blade for now. "I can only hope that things can come to a resolution without either of you being killed by the other..." she says cautiously. "I do too, Swift. I do too." Blurr agrees, sighing. "I keep wishing that he'd just turn himself in and take whatever sentence he gets like a real mech, then eventually get released once it's been served. I mean, if he isn't sentenced for life. Which he -could- have evaded, probably, if he just hadn't kept trying to evade justice. He's just making matters -worse- for himself." Just then they will hear the sound of soft padding feet approaching. This meek noise will come to a halt and there will be a brief hesitation before there's a quiet knock on the door. Blurr's attention is drawn toward the door. He checks to see who it is and sighs, but opens it anyway. Swift Blade has lapsed into a thoughtful silence for now. She's not sure what else to say, and she has a lot on her mind. Still, she looks towards the door as Blurr goes to open it. The psychiatrist's expression is unreadable. "Pardon me for interrupting," he says blandly, "but the state requires that everyone on military duty to have a mental assessment every megacycle, and according the reports at the Decagon, you are overdue." Rung allows himself into the room, hardly looking at Blurr. "Er...right." Blurr nods, and motions for him to come in and sit. "Swiftblade, this is Rung. Rung, Swiftblade." he introduces them; it's the polite thing to do, though he lowers his optics. Swift Blade snaps out of her thoughts. She smiles and gives a polite nod to the one called Rung. "Pleased to meet you," she says. He's quite possibly the smallest Cybertronian she's officially met so far. But she's used to small beings. She's not really sure what else to say though; it sounds like Rung is here on official business. Rung gives Swift Blade a curt nod and a brief smile. He sits down and pulls out a data pad. He too, avoids optic contact with Blurr. "I must subject you to a certain set of questions. Do you agree to answer in full "Yeah, as best I can, anyway..." Blurr replies, still not looking up from the floor. Swift Blade isn't sure if she should offer to leave or not, so she looks between the two mechs to see if there's any indication of what she should be doing at this point. Rung holds the data pad up in front of his face, obscuring his view of Blurr. If Swift Blade is keen, she'll notice there is much tension between them. "Would you consider the life you have lived so far to be what you expected it to be? If yes, state why. If not, please explain." Blurr is looking everywhere but at Rung. The floor, the wall, the sofa, the ceiling. At Swiftblade occasionally, even. "Well I don't know. I guess I kind of didn't really have any expectations to begin with. I didn't know any better. I didn't know what I should expect. Racing, of course. Which I do race. Beyond that I have no idea." Even if Swift Blade picks up on the tension, she will not have the faintest idea of what the source would be. She would guess it wasn't physical, however, since Rung does not outwardly look to be physically intimidating. Although she is not being asked the questions, she thinks of what her answers might be. And she pays close attention to Blurr's answers as well. She needs to learn so much about her new home and this might give her some clues. Still, she's quite, not wishing to interrupt what seems to be an uncomfortable process. "How often do you dwell on the past? Do you have regrets? If so, do they affect you and you work ethic now? If so, please elaborate," Rung states again, still staring intently at the data pad. "Not a lot, to be honest." Blurr answers, shrugging lazily. "There's not much point to it, in my opinion. The past is the past, it can't be changed. Only the future can be changed. And that's what I aim to focus on. I just do what I'm supposed to do, and I try not to be one of those troublemaker types." Swift Blade wonders about Blurr's answer. He had expressed sorrow at what happened between him and Blast Off, but did it mean he did not regret it also? Or perhaps one or two regrets falls under 'not a lot'. But she's not going to call attention to this. Nope. Still, it's curious. "If you could go back in time to change anything, would you? Is there anyone you wish had forgiven or not forgiven?" Rung continues. "Well, I would probably--" Blurr frowns suddenly. "Now wait just an astrosecond, what kind of a question is that?!" Wow, Blurr said the word 'wait', this situation must very seriously be calling for that word. "Why would you ask what I would do if I could go back in time, obviously I -can't- go back in time, and even if I could, it'd be too dangerous!" "And why are you asking about specific people?!" Swift Blade starts slightly as Blurr finally objects to a question. She wonders if this is connected with what they had been talking about before. Then she muses for a few moments about what she would do if she could go back in time. Warn everyone about the Quintessons, that would be sure. Even thinking about them makes her frown deeply. Rung doesn't flinch, or answer any of Blurr's questions. "Are you satisfied with who are you now? Do you have any guilt? About having no regrets or desire to change anything? Or, perhaps for not really even knowing what you want out of life, or anything for that matter? What about for grossly wronging a friend simply because it was inconvenient to do otherwise, or because of inability to overcome personal weakness due to the fact that you aren't even trying?" He still doesn't even look at the speedster. Blurr stares at Rung, and a mixture of anger and hurt slowly begins to creep onto his face. "I didn't say I didn't have any regrets! How can you expect me to know what I ultimately want out of life, Rung?!" he demands. "For Primus' sake I'm barely 15 metacycles old, I don't understand all these deep philosophical concepts and conspiracy theories and trying to come up with new and apparently -better- ways to run this entire Primus-forsaken planet! All I know is what I was taught from the beginning, and that is how -not- to get on the -wrong- side of the law! And forgive me if I tend to stick with the people who actually seem to have some -real- answers to everything I don't know, so that I don't have to be so fragging -confused- all the damn time, and feeling like I don't know what the slag I should do!" "What the frag is this all about anyway, huh? Are you asking -everyone- these questions?! Let me see that thing!" Before Rung can resist or protest, the speedster snatches the datapad out of his hand and examines it to see if any of those questions he'd just asked were actually -on- there. Ouch! Those are some pretty heavy things that Rung is saying to Blurr. And they strike Swift Blade as rather unfair as well. But, she is still hesitant to interrupt this. Moreover, she is curious what sort of superiors demand such questions to be answered. In all her time as slave very little thought was given to how she felt or thought. It was simply irrelevant unless it indicated that she was going to disobey orders. Either way, she tenses up. No wonder Blurr didn't seem eager to talk to this mech. She starts again when Blurr reveals how very young he actually is. A drop in the bucket compared to her years. Granted, many of those years were spent in stasis, but that's beside the point. And she can't help but be curious about the datapad, and she leans just a little closer to Blurr. "That's just an excuse," Rung says coldly, "granted, you may be young, but this is a mindset. If you could stay fifteen metacycles old, you would. Because you don't want to make any decisions for yourself. You want to be a /child/ all your life, and let everyone else be the ones to decide everything for you. Just take a look at your life, Blurr, and tell me, what is one thing you have decided to do that was completely your decision and no one else's? /Grow/ up." Rung's brows raise in anger as Blurr reaches forward to snatch the data pad away from him. "You can't--!" he protests angrily. It may be as Blurr suspects. None of the questions he'd just asked him were even on the data pad. The past seven questions weren't even on the datapad... Blurr doesn't notice Swiftblade looking over his shoulder, and once he sees that the past several questions weren't even on there, he hurls it across the room in anger. It shatters against the far wall, breaking into several pieces. "I knew it. You're just saying those things to hurt me!" he exclaims. "-No-. I'm not going to answer -any- more of your questions! I looked to -you- for guidance, Rung. I asked you to teach me right from wrong, but did you? No! You weren't even there for me, when I needed you the most. -Axle- was there. -Cipher- was there. So who the hell else was I supposed to look to?!" This is so very interesting, after Blurr was pressing her to make hard choices. A few times it looks as though she is going to finally speak up, but the words never actually form in her vocalizer. By the time Blurr bursts out in anger, she is looking distinctly unhappy. Quietly she rises to stand beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder that is not restraining, merely supportive, as she gazes at Rung with questioning optics. Rung stands, his brows furrowing in rage. "How /dare/ you! I have only ever done what was best for you, Blurr. I did my damnedest to make sure you were safe, and kept from harm. I turned you away because the IAA had forbidden me to see you, and had you been caught we would have both been punished severely. And Primus forbid anything happen to anything you, because even though you might not have given a damn, I gave a damn about you. I told you that the most important thing for you to do once you left the labs of the IAA was to make your own decisions. And what did you do? You swept all my words of wisdom under the rug, as if.. as if they meant nothing to you. As if /I/ meant nothing to you. And clearly, I didn't. You indulged in wealth, then attached yourself to the likes of people like Axle and Cipher, /replacing/ me. And now you even allow the government make use of your conjunx endura Feint, letting them take full advantage of the fact that she is utterly subservient to you. She is your slave, and you don't even care that she is!" "But I -couldn't-!" Blurr flings back at him. "I wasn't -ready- to do what you expected me to do. I was too stupid..." He sighs, sinking back down into the sofa. "...I still am." And it's all Rung's fault, for overestimating him. He looks away. "...leave. Leave now." the racer commands quietly. The anger is uncomfortable, and Swift Blade shows this by shifting her weight from one foot to the other and back again. The use of the word 'slave' flicks on the raw, and she visibly winces, though she knows nothing about Conjux Endura, simply because it is not a term the fleshlings used. They had other words for such relationships, but she had no way of knowing the intricases of such things on Cybertron. Finally she speaks, however, "You are both hurt and angry; nothing can be solved while you're yelling at each other." Her words are rather meek, tentative. Blurr might notice that she is quick to show support for others; it's not just Blast Off apparently. Swift Blade wavers on the spot. She's not sure if the command to leave meant her and Rung, or just Rung, or even just herself perhaps. Still, he's very upset, and that is clear, and it makes her upset to see him that way. On the other hand, she can't dismiss the fact that Rung is /also/ very upset. Slowly she shakes her head from side to side. "Do you know why you weren't ready? Because you thought you weren't. You strongly believed you weren't, so you weren't. And now look what a mess you're in. If you keep saying you're too stupid, then you will always be too stupid!" Then his brows furrow even deeper and in a moment of bitter anger, lashes out and slaps the speedster on the faceplates. "Don't you /dare/ blame me for all of this," Rung rages, even though he feels deep down, that he played a major part in the way Blurr is now, "and don't you dare ever again get people like that bullheaded mech Hot Rod to beg for my help because you think it's my fault. You want my professional consultation? Well, I'll give you this much. Quit your job as an Autobot and sever all ties with Feint. Then, maybe you won't be the miserable, mindless and enslaved monster you have become." He glances briefly over at Swiftblade. "I am sorry for interrupting, he says, and with that, he turns swiftly to leave the hab suite. "Stop talking as if you understand everything about me, because you -don't-." Blurr says sullenly. "Now -leave-." And Rung finally does. Once the psychiatrist is gone, he just sits there, looking miserably grieved and not saying a word for a long while. This is probably the closest Swift Blade has ever been to so much emotion. Even witnessing it has made her feel rather exhausted. She watches Rung leave wordlessly. Then she sits beside Blurr and pats him on the back, unsure of what to say. Of course, if he tells her to leave, she will do so, but she didn't feel that those words were directed at her that time. "...no one does..." Blurr mumbles in continuation of his previous statement about a lack of understanding. Suddenly he notices Swiftblade's hand on his back, and he looks up at her, sighing. "I'm sorry you had to see that..." "I'm sorry that it happened at all," returns Swift Blade gently. "You really are quite young, and perhaps he expects too much of you. But I am much older and I still find things confusing because I was away for so long." She thinks back to his apparent surety not too long ago, as well as the crowd that was surrounding him when she first saw him. Surface appearances are not always very helpful and she keeps this in mind. "His faith in me was misplaced. but he refuses to admit it." Blurr says with another sigh. "I just don't know what else to do, or what else I could have done..." He just looks so sad, and so hurt. "Anyway it has nothing to do with you, I shouldn't have burdened you with it." Rung stops at the door, holding it open slightly with his hand resting on the doorknob. "I used to think that you and I could be close again, just like when you were in the labs at the IAA. And now... well, I happened to be off world when the Clampdown happened. And I just wish that I had never returned," he says, not looking back at the two of them. Then he goes out, and the door slams behind him. "You didn't do it by choice," Swift Blade reasons. "It just sort of came out when you felt pushed." She flicks a glance at the door. Rung isn't the only one who wishes he hadn't returned to Cybertron. Swift Blade often wonders if she will ever make a place here. "He seems to have his regrets too," she adds softly to Blurr. "Yeah, he regrets ever having known -me-, that's about the only thing." Blurr says bitterly. He stands up. "You can see why I was hoping you'd want to be a friend, right? Blast Off used to be a friend, Rung used to be a friend...I'm just tired of losing friends. I'd like to -gain- one for a change." The racer sighs. "I'm gonna go recharge. You can stay if you want. There's a spare slab in the other room." FWIP. There's a blurred streak of blue and white, and he's disappeared into his private quarters. Hey, he wasn't called 'Blurr' for nothing. Swift Blade watches as Blurr takes off, perhaps to recharge as he said, or maybe just to hide away from everyone for a while. But she wouldn't be comfortable staying here. "I will return another time," she says through the door. "You just rest." Either way, his speed was rather impressive, and she wonders how Blast Off ever managed to get away from him...